Wednesday, March 4, 2009

A leader is a servant

I was reading the other day in the book of Matthew and came across Jesus giving some specific teaching about a quality of greatness. In Matthew 20:26-28, Jesus reminded his disciples that the greatest would be a servant to all. This was a good reminder to me of a truth that I have known for a long time.

If I want to improve as a leader, than I need to continue to commit myself to serving others. I have so much to learn about being a person who serves people.

It is also a good reminder to me about teaching others how to be leaders. Many people, especially young people, want to lead. What they really often mean is that they want to be in charge. They want authority. They want to make decisions. They want others to follow them. But when it comes time to do the dirty work, the volunteer list can be short.

It is my observation that a lot of people are critical of leaders, but few people are willing to pay the price of leadership. Many people desire a position, but few are willing to walk the path of humble service.

Most of what I know about being a leader has come from observing and listening to humble servants of God who modelled good leadership. My challenge to those who desire to be a leader of others for the glory of God: Start serving people!

It is my prayer that God would help me to be a better leader. It is also my prayer that God would continue to develop more and more servant leaders for His kingdom.

Who is someone who has been a model of leadership for you?What have you learned about leadership?

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About Me

I love God, I love my family, I love my church, and I love my community. I am one of the elders of Lighthouse Christian Fellowship on the west side of Chicago. I also lead a program called PURSUE Scholars.